"We Can Answer That!"

Got questions, hopefully we can answer a few of them for you. We've compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions below. If you still have questions you can call one of our knowledgeable staff members at Silks Simulcast Center at 954.457.6941 or 954.457.6243, send us an email at info@gulfstreampark.com or stop into Silks Simulcast Center while enjoying your day at Gulfstream Park and speak to one of our Racing Ambassadors who are always available to assist you with any and all racing related questions.

RACING TERMS

Allowance Race
A race featuring conditions for participation such as amount of money won or number of races won in a certain time period.

Apprentice
A rider who has not won five races is entitled to a 10-pound “allowance,” which is to say his mount may carry 10 pounds less than the competition, and a seven-pound allowance until he has ridden an additional 30 winners; if he has ridden 35 winners prior to the end of one year from the date of riding his fifth winner, he shall have an allowance of five pounds until the end of that year. Also called a “bug” rider because an asterisk is often used in the program to denote apprenticeship.

Bay
The light brownish color of some horses’ coats.

Blinkers
A hood with plastic cups surrounding the eye holes that restrict visibility, helping the horse to focus on what lies ahead by eliminating distractions from the sides.

Bobbled
Horses can lose their action if they take a misstep while racing.

Breeder
Owner of a pregnant mare at the time she delivers the foal (baby horse of either sex).

Breeders' Cup
Racing’s international championship day, with 14 races offering prize money totaling $25.5 million. The BC?is annually held in late October or early November, changing venues from one year to the next, and attracts the world’s best horses in training.

Broodmare
A female horse out to pasture for breeding purposes; a broodmare sire is the sire, or father, of such a female.

Brown
A dark brown color of some horses’ coats.

Checked
Horses on occasion could be pulled up briefly if the horse in front of them slows down dramatically and there is nowhere for them to go.

Chestnut
Horse with a reddish-colored coat.

Chute
The extensions that break off from a typically oval racetrack that allow for races to be conducted at distances which, if begun on the oval, would begin on the turn and would thereby disadvantage horses who started on the outside.

Circuit
A geographical grouping of tracks whose race meetings are coordinated to run in succession.

Claiming Races
Races in which all horses entered are for sale. A “claimer” is a horse who runs in these races.

Clockers
People who time, or clock, morning workouts; the time is taken in hundredths or in fifths of a second.

Colt
A male less than 5 years old who is capable of future service at stud.

Condition Book
A track-published pamphlet that contains rules and regulations of racing, and information on purses, weight assignments and terms of eligibility for every race at the meeting. They are free of charge and available at the racing office.

Dogs
Orange traffic cones that are used during workout hours to protect the inside part of a racetrack or turf course.

Filly
A female 4 years old or less.

Furlong
One-eighth of a mile, 660 feet or 220 yards.

Gelding
A horse whose testicles were removed often because of poor temperament and/or a growth disorder.

Graded Stakes
A committee of racing authorities from across the nation who rank stakes in order of importance, according to a grading system based on the historic, overall quality of the horses that have competed in them. There are Grade 1, 2 and 3 races, with the lower the number the more prestigious the race.

Gray
A horse with white hairs in his coat.

Groom
The horse’s caregiver, the person who “grooms” the horse, cleans its stall and often spends the most time with it.

Hand
A term used to measure the height of a horse, each hand being four inches.

Handicap
A race in which, based on past performance, the racing secretary assigns individual weights to horses in the hopes of creating an evenly matched race; good horses carry more weight; handicapping is the process by which that determination is made.

Handicapper
A person, either a professional or amateur, who attempts to predict the outcome of a race.

Handle
The total amount of money wagered on a race, at a racetrack or at a simulcast center, or both.

Horse
A horse is a horse of course, but, on the racetrack, a “horse” is a male 5 years old and older.

Pools
The total amount of money bet on each brand of wager, such as win pools, place pools, etc.

Posts
The stalls in the starting gate from which a horse begins a race.

Post Parade
The formal presentation of the field of horses before each race; after leaving the walking ring they are paraded before the grandstand and clubhouse, typically about 10 minutes before each race.

Post Time
The time when a race is scheduled to start.

Purse
The money value of a race.

Restricted Races
Races limited to only particular horses, for instance, those bred in a particular state.

Roan
When the majority of the coat of the horse is a mixture of red and white hairs or brown and white hairs. The mane, tail and legs may be black, chestnut or roan, unless white markings are present.

Saddlecloth
The piece of cloth placed under the saddle that bears the program number of a horse competing in a race.

Shedrow
The pathway inside a barn.

Silks
The colorful shirts, which represent a horse's owner(s), that jockeys wear during a race; also known as “colors.”

Sire
The father of a horse.

Silks
An owner's racing enterprise.
Stakes
A race for top-quality horses. The race may specify the sex and age of its participants and further differentiated by a grading system whereupon Grade 1 stakes are of the top level, followed by Grade 2 and Grade 3 stakes, then by ungraded stakes races.
Stable
The horse’s home while he is stabled at the racetrack.

Stall
A male horse who is in service at a breeding farm.

THE RACING AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

If you're new to the sport of horse racing, than this is for you...

You may need some assistance when it comes to understanding racing terminology or placing a wager.

Our friendly Racing Ambassadors are here to help! They’ll explain the basics, show you how to read a program, use the self-service tote machines and answer any and all questions you might have regarding the sport.

You can request assistance from a Racing Ambassador at the Guest Services booth located in the Breezeway or in the Silks Simulcast Center next to the Breezeway.

You can watch simulcast racing year-round at Gulfstream Park and there is live racing at Gulfstream Park year-round except in the months of October and November when we're racing at Gulfstream Park West.

There is live racing at Gulfstream Park Year-Round ( except for October and November when we move to Gulfstream Park West ) from Wednesday to Sunday. Dates change so always check the racing calendar for the most up to date information.

An experienced individual with extensive knowledge of horse racing, wagering, and handicapping. Racing Ambassadors are also responsible for conducting tours around the property and explaining how to use the self-service tote machines.

Patrons are only allowed to smoke out the grandstand area and densely populated areas. There are posted signs and our no smoke areas are enforced by security, but we also rely on the common courtesy of those individuals that choose to smoke.

Fast - Dry, even and resilient. Dry to the point of needing to be watered down by the maintenance department.

Wet Fast - A brief burst of rain over a fast track can sometimes leave a thin layer of water over the formerly dry surface that produces times as fast, or faster than, a dry track.

Sloppy - A wet track with visible, standing water on the surface, but that is still firm beneath and may still produce good times.

Sealed - A dirt track may be packed down (and not harrowed) in anticipation of heavy rains so that water will run off the surface rather than being absorbed into the track. Sloppy tracks can also be sealed to even the racing surface (for safety) and help float some of the water out of the track so it will run off the surface.

Muddy - A wet track where the moisture has settled deeper into the track and which produces much slower race times.

Good - Generally a drying track that still has too much moisture in it to be considered fast. A track can also be listed as good on the way from fast to sloppy.

The entire coat of the horse may vary from a yellow-tan to a bright auburn. The mane, tail and lower portion of the legs are always black, unless white markings are present.

Dark Bay/Brown

The entire coat of the horse will vary from a brown, with areas of tan on the shoulders, head and flanks, to a dark brown, with tan areas seen only in the flanks and/or muzzle. The mane, tail and lower portion of the legs are always black, unless white markings are present.

Chestnut

The entire coat of the horse may vary from a red-yellow to a golden-yellow. The mane, tail and legs are usually variations of the coat color, unless white markings are present.

Gray

The majority of the coat of the horse is a mixture of black and white hairs. The mane, tail and legs may be either black or gray, unless white markings are present.

Roan

The majority of the coat of the horse is a mixture of red and white hairs or brown and white hairs. The mane, tail and legs may be black, chestnut or roan, unless white markings are present.

Black

The entire coat of the horse is black, including the muzzle, the flanks, the mane, tail and legs, unless white markings are present.

Palomino

The entire coat of the horse is golden-yellow, unless white markings are present. The mane and tail are usually flaxen.

White

A rare color not to be confused with the colors gray or roan. The entire coat, including the mane, tail and legs, is white and no other color should be present.

A length is usually calculated as a fifth of a second. An average thoroughbred will race a furlong in about 12 seconds, depending on the length of the race and the quality of the horse. So, that would make it 60 lengths in a furlong (12 seconds x 5 lengths per second).

Since a furlong is one eighth of a mile, which is 660 feet, that would make a length equal to 11 feet (660 feet divided by 60 lengths). That sounds about right for a thoroughbred in full stride.

The simple answer: if the sire and dam are thoroughbreds, then their offspring would be thoroughbreds.

"A Thoroughbred is a horse that has satisfied the rules and requirements set forth herein and is registered in The American Stud Book or in a Foreign Stud Book approved by The Jockey Club and the International Stud Book Committee."

Once the race is declared official, take your winning wager to any mutual window. At that point you can decide to collect the full amount of your winnings or wager back all or part of it on upcoming races. If you are unsure of whether you've won, bring your ticket to any window to have it checked.

Avoid cashing your ticket 5 minutes before any race as many people wait until the last few minutes before a race to place their wagers, and cashing your winnings will slow the process.

DAILY DOUBLE – To collect you must choose the winners of two races before the first race starts. If you bet "4-1" daily double, No.4 must win the first race and No.1 must win the second.

QUINELLA – You choose two horses in a race. To collect, one horse must finish first and the other, second.

EXACTA – To collect you must choose the first and second horses in a race in their exact order of finish. If you bet "4-1" exacta, No.4 must finish first and No.1 must finish second.

TRIFECTA – To collect you must choose the first, second and third place finishers in a race in their exact order.

SUPERFECTA – To collect you must choose the first, second, third and fourth place finishers in a race in their exact order.
TWIN-TRIFECTA – To be eligible, you must choose the first three finishers of a race in their exact order in the first leg to be allowed to wager on the second leg where you must also pick the first three finishers in their exact order.
PICK 3 – To collect you must choose the winners of three consecutive races before the first race begins.
PICK 6 – To collect you must choose the winners of six consecutive races before the first race begins.